Trending Tags

Follow

About Michael J. Miller

Miller, who was editor-in-chief of PC Magazine from 1991 to 2005, authors this blog for PC Magazine to share his thoughts on PC-related products. No investment advice is offered in this blog. All duties are disclaimed. Miller works separately for a private investment firm which may at any time invest in companies whose products are discussed in this blog, and no disclosure of securities transactions will be made.

More 3D TV Options, But More 3D TV Questions

At various press events last week, I had the opportunity to see a lot of different 3D TVs. Some were showing movies; some were displaying sports, including the FIFA World Cup. What I saw was impressive, but it reminds me of how much still needs to happen before 3D becomes a mainstream feature.

At the CEA line show last week, a 3D summit panel talked about 3D, with panelists pointing out how 3D TVs have gone from concept to multiple products in a year. However, there were still concerns about content and 3D glasses, according to Rick Dean, chairman of the 3D@Home Consortium.

More after the jump.

Meanwhile, Sony was showing off its new line of 3D Bravia TVs, using Direct TV's ESPN 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which are expected to
be on sale soon. The sets themselves are LED-backlit LCDs and
looked very good, although the quality of the 3D depended on the
particular shot. Long shots really didn't show off the 3D much at all,
while closer shots had much more of a 3D effect. And, in some cases, the
depth made it look more like specific layers (as if you were looking at
a pop-up book). To me, that just shows that directors and producers
have a lot to learn about filming
sports in 3D.

One thing I noticed at these demos, as well as the demos of 3D on other LCD sets,
such as those from Samsung, is that it really matters how and where you
are sitting. The images were notably darker if I tilted my head. In addition,
where I sat was important in reducing "crosstalk"--the "ghosting" you
can see in some 3D images.

Vizio also showed its 3D TVs. They, too, were LED-backlit LCDs, but push
"smart dimming." These sets aren't expected to be on the
market until the fourth quarter.

Later,
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America showed off
its DLP based and Laser projection TVs. Like nearly all of the
home-oriented 3D sets, these use active shutter glasses. While these
systems aren't as thin as the LCD or plasma displays you'll see, they do
have one interesting advantage: many more speakers. The top of the line
includes 16 different speakers on the front of the set, and in
demonstrations, it certainly sounded good. Most of what I saw here were
demos of 3D movies, and they generally looked quite good. One good thing
to note: Mitsubishi is also making available a 3D adapter for its
earlier 3D-ready sets.

Mitsubishi also showed of its 75-inch LaserVue set, which seemed to have
great-looking color, but in the demos I saw not quite as good of a 3D
effect. (It's hard to judge because it was running different content).

Note that all these sets come with glasses that use different
frequencies to control the active shutter glasses. At the CEA show,
Monster was showing off its Monster Vision Max 3D "universal" 3D
glasses, which use RF technology and ZigBee radios to work with the
different sets out there. (Monster claims to be first with universal
glasses, though I've seen Xpand
promise a similar product. We'll see which actually gets to stores
first.) The idea is very cool, but I wonder whether the different tints
that the individual manufacturers are using on their 3D glasses means
those "universal" glasses may be off a bit in color. We'll see when they
ship.

My take-away from these events is that 3D remains a work in progress in
most repects, from the filming of content to availability to the sets
themselves. There are some things worth looking at: Some of the 3D sets I saw had
exaggerated 3D effects, which will probably be fun in a retail store
but could be distracting at home. I noticed big color temperature
differences among different sets, something that you can probably change
through settings, but this will likely have a big impact on picture quality. And I
noticed a big difference in the amount of "crosstalk" or "ghosting" I
was seeing. Without having the sets side by side running the same
content, I don't want to make a judgment on particular brands, but right
now, it looks like I'm seeing better results from plasma TVs and
DLP-based systems than from LCDs.

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service

//our current issue

Select Term:

24 issues for $29.99 ONLY $1.25 an issue! Lock in Your Savings!

12 issues for $19.99ONLY $1.67 an issue!

State

Country

This transaction is secure

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service